Week 6: Biotechnology + Art

-
Related image
Biotechnology
The field of biotechnology has continually pushed the boundaries of what is possible, even if it crosses the line of life itself. Scientists have figured out ways to manipulate not only the genes in our body but in all other living species and in the food we eat. Biotechnology has enabled us to further understand our body and the elements around us, but it has caused an ethical debate due to the somewhat invasive and unconsented practice of it. It has essentially been about disrupting the natural order of life and trying to engineer ways to prevent the deterioration of or extend the life of some species, while also trying to produce unnatural results on different types of living things.

Image result for stelarc third ear
Stelarc and his third ear
When integrated with art, the biotechnology world becomes riddled with doubts from many onlookers. Stelarc is an artist who uses his own body as a canvas for his shocking projects. One of his most notable works is his body modification project in which he received an implant of a third ear on his arm. This project has left many wondering why it was even necessary.

Transgenic art is a practice of genetic engineering where an organism’s genetic material is transplanted into another organism to construct a new creature. An artist named Eduardo Kac created one of the most popular transgenic artworks. He created a green fluorescent rabbit by mixing the genes of a jellyfish and the fertilized egg of an albino rabbit. Another transgenic project used rats, but it had a different purpose. Kathy High’s project used rats injected with human genes as models in order to better predict the processes of human health and disease prevention. While it might be unethical, this project can reap many benefits.

Related image
Fluorescent bunny
Body modification projects and transgenic art such as Eduardo Kac’s fluorescent rabbit raises questions on the boundaries of science and art. Who are we to experiment on animals who are unable to consent for themselves? Why are we trying to modify our abled bodies with parts that we don’t need? Biotechnology has led to numerous advancements, but it has also allowed people to play "God" and reorder, recreate, and remove some of the organic elements of life.



“Stelarc.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Oct. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelarc.

TRANSGENIC ART by Eduardo Kac, www.ekac.org/transgenic.html.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 Bioart pt1.” YouTube, YouTube, 18 Sept. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaThVnA1kyg.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 BioArt pt3.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=3EpD3np1S2g.

Vesna, Victoria. “5 BioArt pt4.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=2qSc72u9KhI.

Comments

  1. sdmoore19May 14, 2019 at 12:44 PM

    Hi Harriet, I really enjoyed your blog post this week! In particular, I liked your last section in which you analyzed the pros and cons of biotechnology as an art form. In my blog post, I had thought about that it is unethical to inflict pain (emotional and physical) on other organisms; however, I had not considered the idea of consent and how that is unethical as well. Great job!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Event 2: Meteorite Gallery

-
Image
Display of asteroids and meteorites For the second event, I went to the Meteorite Gallery in the Geology building. I have visited the gallery before when I took an Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences so it was familiar to me. The idea of space has always fascinated me so seeing things from beyond our atmosphere was pretty cool. Space is vast and bigger than we can even imagine. Putting life into perspective, humans are smaller than a speck of dust in this entire galaxy. When you walk into the gallery, the first thing that you will notice are two meteorites in the middle of the room. The table with the lone meteorite is the oldest iron meteorite that UCLA has been gifted and it is from 1934. Just as it looks, the meteorite feels strong and indestructible. It is mind-blowing that such rock has come from outer space and it leaves you wondering whether it would be likely that you can get hit by this robust object. The sign next to the meteorite says that it is very unlikely that som
Read more

Week 7: Neuroscience + Art

-
Image
LSD Before this week’s lectures, I never gave any thought to the idea of hallucinogenic drugs as an art experience and a potential psychological cure. This week, I gained an insight into the history of mind-altering drugs and its importance in the investigation of the mind. Albert Hofmann introduced the hallucinogenic drug LSD and paved the path for its use as a cure to different psychiatric disorders. Hofmann described his experience on LSD as this vibrant and stimulating encounter, but he also experienced the dark side of it where he thought he was going insane and his reality was becoming distorted. After checking in with the doctor and seeing no physical change, he embraced the drug and began to enjoy the unique colors, shapes, and images. CIA experiments with mind control  Psychedelic drugs, like LSD, transform one’s perception and awareness. Scientists began to use it to understand schizophrenia as it enables humans to unlock parts of their mind that they
Read more

Event 1: Leonard Kleinrock Internet Heritage Site

-
Image
West side of the room For one of the events, I decided to go to the Leonard Kleinrock Internet Heritage Site in Boelter Hall. For the past four years that I have been a student at UCLA, I did not know that there was a room honoring the discovery of the internet. As a student here, it is a well-known fact that UCLA was the site where the internet was first tested, in which a message was sent to another computer program in Standford. This idea and method of sharing information between two computers revolutionized the digital world and was the catalyst for further internet development. East side of the room  The room opened in 2011 and was restored with the help of the original team. When I visited, a student in the hallway told me that you could not go inside, but you can look through the glass door. I thought it was pretty cool getting a glimpse of such a historical scene. Everything looked pristine and untouched; it is hard to believe that it was not the original scene. The r
Read more